News
District in need of new transportation facility
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| The office in the bus garage is crowded and cramped, with virtually no storage space. |
Nov. 6, 2008
Things are pretty crowded these days in the Mohonasen bus garage. Storage areas are maxed out, office space is filled to the brim, bays normally reserved for buses in need of repair are used to store heavy equipment, 60 bus drivers vie for 10 seats at two tables in the driver’s break room, and some buses are parked at the high school because there isn’t room for them at the garage.
“We’ve outgrown the size of our facility,” Transportation Supervisor Randy Jerreld said. “This is not the kind of modern environment you want in a bus garage.”
Half of the current bus garage was constructed almost 50 years ago, and the other half was built more than 15 years ago. Now, the two halves are starting to break away from each other, meaning that on top of serious space constraints, the building is not structurally sound. The roof leaks, and so do other areas of the building when it rains hard.
Because there is very little storage space, equipment and materials are stored wherever there is room – which means mechanics and drivers have to maneuver their way through the garage being careful not to knock into spare tires, bus seats or tools and equipment.
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| The current bus garage facility is not
structurally sound. In fact, the roof and other areas of the
building leak when it rains. |
Outside of the garage, buses are stored within a fenced off area. Just as it is inside, space in this area is tight, meaning that drivers have to be extra careful when driving or parking their buses. The same is also true when driving around – or up to – the fuel pump. According to Jerreld, because there is very little space at and around the fuel pump, only one small bus and one regular sized bus can access the pump at the same time.
“It’s a very unsafe situation,” he said. “Our drivers are awfully careful and extremely accomplished, but you just need more space than we have when you are maneuvering something the size of a bus around the parking area or in the fuel pump in the yard. We have no room for error.”
Besides the general wear and tear on the old building, Jerreld said there is more of a demand for transportation services these days than ever before. This is why even though enrollment numbers have stayed relatively flat during the last few years, the number of buses the district has on the road has continued to grow.
“Everybody needs a bus for this and that,” Jerreld said. “Field trips, athletics, out-of district runs for special education students. The fact is that we have grown to meet transportation needs and in the process grew right out of our current facility.”
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| In the oldest section of the bus garage, buses can't be put on lifts – meaning that mechanics have a very hard time working on them. |
Another problem Jerreld has is that he doesn’t have an adequate wash bay to help maintain the buses in his fleet. Right now, one of the bays in the garage is equipped with large curtains on either side. The idea is to pull the bus into the bay, draw the curtains and wash away. However, this bay is right near the garage’s outside door as well as the offices and driver break room – so if the bus is getting a shower, doors have to be shut and the office staff has to be very careful that they aren’t also getting a shower. Additionally, even if the current wash facility worked properly, it doesn’t have an undercarriage wash, which is crucial when it comes to properly washing and maintaining school buses.
“When we wash our buses we wash off the road salt that causes rust. Rust is a big problem with school buses and the state department of transportation has very stringent requirements when it comes to rust,” Jerreld said. “If we can’t wash our buses the way they need to be washed, we can’t protect the community’s investment in these buses.”
Jerreld estimates that with a proper wash bay, he could extend the life of each district school bus by at least two years—potentially saving the district up to $200,000 a year in transportation costs.
District officials are currently considering a building project that would include the construction of a new district bus garage. While many of the details are not yet finalized, Jerreld said he’s glad that district officials and the Board of Education recognize this important need.
“Transportation is an important service that the district offers,” Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Spring said. “It is our responsibility to make sure our students get to and from school safe and sound. With a new transportation facility we will be able to make sure we are adequately protecting the investment we have made in our school buses and ensure this investment is safe for years to come.”
Look for details on the capital project and the potential for a new bus garage in the coming months.
